223. In The Earth; movie review

 

IN THE EARTH

Cert 15

108 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong threat, gory images, violence, language

There is an element of a woodland 2001 A Space Odyssey going on in Ben Wheatley's In The Earth.

I was particularly reminded of the Kubrick movie during a final sequence but the more I think about it, the more connections there are.

However, the sad truth is that, while I thought they had their moments, I didn't enjoy either.

In The Earth stars Joel Fry as Martin, a scientist who wants to track down a former colleague (Hayley Squires), a senior researcher who has gone missing deep in a British forest during a pandemic.

For his own safety, he is accompanied by a park ranger (Ellora Torchia) who is supposed to know her way.

It soon becomes clear, however, that the woods are not a safe place and they are robbed of many essentials.

However, that turns out to be a mere minor distraction compared to what they endure after they meet a crazed psychopath (Reece Shearsmith).

This confrontation is part of a terrifying journey with the forest apparently coming to life as they go.

No matter what they go through, Martin tries to keep on an even keel but, alas, this is not a place for cool heads.

Inevitably, the madness just ratchets up and up and the forest becomes eerier and eerier.

Unfortunately, the attempt to deliberately tone down the reaction to horror didn't work for me - it just made the presentation appear mundane.

And the plot was rather too convoluted for my taste.

But I confess, I am neither a big horror or sci-fi fan and so it was always unlikely that a combination of the two would light my candle.

Reasons to watch: Strange, contemporary woodland horror

Reasons to avoid: Not always easy to follow

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 5/10

Did you know? Ben Wheatley's directing career began in comedy, working with British stars such as Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer.

The final word. Ben Wheatley: "The woods don't care about you and your iPhone and your problems, and if you twist your ankle out in the woods, you might die. It's as simple as that." Fangoria

 

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